True Friends

Life has a purpose, so just keep living,
That is a wise sentence from the mind,
Sometimes it is like you just want to give in,
And leave this cold world behind.

But no matter what we go through,
There are angels helping us to pave the way,
With kind hearts and words that are so true,
They keep us motivated every day.

They're our guiders, who stand forever in our life,
Because they care for us, help us battle the strife,
They're always there for us,
Bonded to us like a husband and wife.

Those true friends, who never seem to go away,
They always miss and talk to you, almost every day,
They're fun, crazy, with a hint of mean,'
But they are readily and steadily,
At your side as part of the team.

Whether we are happy with a smile,
Or in tears when life gets hurtful,
We are always supported by,
Those true friends in our circle.

PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK OF POETRY

Editor’s Note

The number one question our editors receive is—what do the editors and judges look for when judging the contest? The number one answer we give is creativity. Unlike prose, writing composed in everyday language, poetry is considered a creative art and requires a different type of effort and a certain level of depth. Of the thousands of poems entered in each contest, the ones that catch our judges’ eyes are the ones that remove us, even just slightly, from the scope of everyday life by using language that is interesting, specific, vivid, obscure, compelling, figurative, and so on. Oftentimes, poems are pulled aside for a second look based simply on certain words that intrigued the reader. So first and foremost, be sure your poetry is written using creative language. Take general ideas and make them personal. In his infamous book De/Compositions: 101 Good Poems Gone Wrong, W. D. Snodgrass imparts, “We cannot honestly discuss or represent our lives, any more than our poems, without using ideational language.”